It has been a conventional practice particularly in the formation of strands of filaments from heat softenable mineral material such as glass to wind the strands of filaments upon a rotating collet at a speed desired for the attenuation of filaments of a particular diameter and when the package of wound strand is completed, the attenuation and winding operation is interrupted by the operator de-energizing the motor rotating the collecting collet, bringing the collet to a condition of rest, breaking the strand of filaments manually, and removing the strand package from the winding collet.
The operator manually places a strand free sleeve or collector upon the collet and initiates rotation of the collet to re-establish attenuation of filaments by winding. During the start up or initial period of rotation of the collet, the filaments formed have a larger size diameter than desired and have a changing size diameter until the collet is brought up to the required winding speed.
During this period the filaments are initially wound upon an extension of the collet until the collet reaches the desired winding speed at which time the skilled operator moves the strand manually into cooperative association with a traversing means which performs the function of distributing the strand material lengthwise of the collet in super imposed layers in the formation of a complete package. When the package is completed and rotation ceases, the operator removes the initially wound strand from the collet which is discarded as waste material, removes the finished package and starts the cycle again.
There has been development work in the winder field for automatic movement of strands both before and after the strand is being collected into a package. One such strand moving apparatus is the shaft with a projection for engaging the strand is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,570. Another strand moving apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,817. Still another strand moving apparatus is shown in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 590,756. Mechanical systems for controlling and moving strand during strand collection are needed.